Varun Chopra digs in to set up victory bid for Warwickshire

The skipper's determination showed early as he took 30 balls to get off the mark and his concentration never wavered.

Varun Chopra delivered the epitome of a captain’s innings as Warwickshire built a strong position from which to press for a vital victory on the last day against Somerset at Taunton.

In a match crucial to the title ambitions of both teams, Chopra’s unbeaten 117 (264 balls) was the defining innings of a third day in which the match swung the Bears’ way.

They declared on 322 for seven to set Somerset a target of 404. The home side came through four overs unscathed last night to reach one without loss – all results are possible.

Warwickshire’s depleted bowling unit having excelled to secure a first-innings lead of 81 on the second day, the skipper batted through the third to give them plenty to bowl at second time round.

In a largely unproductive season for him, Chopra has been guilty of impatience at times but that was far from the case here. Rarely does the fluent opener score at less than one run per over but this was an occasion, as he lost four partners quite quickly, when fast-scoring was not required.

The skipper’s determination showed early as he took 30 balls to get off the mark and his concentration never wavered.

All he needed was support and it arrived in the form of punchy contributions from Tim Ambrose (54, 76) and Rikki Clarke (83, 108). They built on the foundation set down by the captain who, as the day lengthened, had to combine batting with addressing the ticklish decision of when to declare.

This is a decent pitch, offering help to bowlers when the ball is new and hard but runs to the batsmen when it gets old and soft. It is turning only slightly.

Warwickshire are missing their four main seamers. Somerset have strong batting. Victory would keep either team right in the title race. Defeat would shovel them out of it.

Only one thing is for sure – these two teams have shared a string of excellent championship matches in recent years and this is another.

After Warwickshire resumed on one without loss, Somerset’s seamers bowled beautifully, as illustrated by a score of 15 for two from 15 overs in which Ian Westwood and William Porterfield edged behind.

But Chopra supplied exactly the anchor his team needed, even more so after Jonathan Trott completed his unproductive match with a nick off Peter Trego. When Sam Hain fell for 21 (36 balls), the Bears were 82 for four with the ball seaming around and the captain needing support.

He received it in assertive fashion, first from Ambrose who hit ten fours in 54 out of a partnership of 87 in 14 overs, and Clarke.

Ambrose’s counter-attack reversed the flow of the day’s play and transformed the mood. Clarke then capitalised professionally upon easing conditions and tiring bowlers.

Chopra’s belated first championship century of the season arrived eight overs before the close. It is his 13th first-class ton and was probably the least fluent but an innimgs of high responsibility and immense value to his team.